If you visit regularly you can spot all sorts of birds - in the 2 years I have been watching the site I have clocked 93 species. I bet John Tymon has seen many more!
Rgds
Mike
hi mike a rough count-124 species over 12 years. its still a great water but much more disturbed with dogwalkers than it used to bebut its one of them places that often puts a smile on yer face as something you didn't expect turns up
Mike Baron said
Wed Feb 13 6:44 PM, 2008
Hi Ian
Best is to proceed down Delph Lane past the flash towards Padgate. Approx 600 yds down (rom Myddleton Lane tuen off) you will see a gate in a field on the left (small road off to right opposite). Park here carefuly and follow the path through the field - it takes you back to the south bank of the flash.
The water is privately owned - the only public access is via the footpath through the field which crosses only the south bank though in reality lots of locals walk dogs all round the pool every day.
Black-necked Grebes should be back in a few weeks.
The field with the path gets Mipits and Skylarks and the odd Wheatear in spring. Barn Owl is occasionally seen.
Behind the hedge on the east side are lots of brambles - this area is good for Warblers etc in spring and summer though no wintering ones observed.
Fields opposite the gate on Delph Lane often have Grey Partridge. Look back up the Lane towards the farm - this is where the Linnet flock often hangs around - usually on the telephone wires.
If you visit regularly you can spot all sorts of birds - in the 2 years I have been watching the site I have clocked 93 species. I bet John Tymon has seen many more! I usually visit either early morning or during the last hour of daylight.
Waterworks Lane in Winwick is only five minutes away - the stubble patch opposite the lay bye has regular Yellowhammers plus Grey Partridges and Corn Buntings. A Buzzard has spent most the winter on the fenceline. To get there proceed back up Delph Lane and turn left. Proceed through Winwick village and turn right before you reach the church - this is Waterworks Lane.
Best food and beer is the Swan near the church!
Rgds
Mike
Ian Campbell said
Wed Feb 13 3:54 PM, 2008
First ever visit 1.30-1.45 today, only 15 mins as I was with non-birding wife and was not sure about how to access. However did see 70+ Wigeon, 30+ Pochard, 8/9 Goldeneye, 7 Redshank and 1 Oystercatcher. Could any of the regulars post detailed access instructions plus any other info. please. It looks an excellent location and I would like to visit again Also had lunch in an excellent pub in Burtonwood called the Fiddle i'th Bag and a pleasant half in the Plough in Houghton Green. Cheers Ian.
Mike Baron said
Sat Feb 9 9:41 AM, 2008
This morning:
Wigeon 91 (inc 58 drakes) Coot 58 Pochard 9 Tufties 22 Goldeneye 3 (1 drake) Little Grebe 1 G Crested Grebe 1 Buzzard 1 Redshank 4 Heron 1 Meadow Pipit 1 Grey Partridge 14 RL Partridge 1 Linnet 128+ Reed Bunting 1 Starling 350+ Goldfinch 19 Fieldfare 27 Stonechat 1 (female) 45 birds in the Delph Lane part of the rookery
Plus range of other common species
-- Edited by Mike Baron at 09:42, 2008-02-09
Mike Baron said
Sun Jan 20 4:41 PM, 2008
Scaup - 2 first winter drakes this afternoon
Mike
JOHN TYMON said
Sat Jan 19 6:25 PM, 2008
THIS AFTERNOON WIGEON-92 COOT-72 TUFTED -32 POCHARD-14 GOLDEN EYE-2 LITTLE GREBE-1 REDSHANK-2 MALLARD-42
Very quiet recently. Seems to be more water in the surrounding fields than in the pool!
Mike Baron said
Mon Dec 31 12:28 PM, 2007
JOHN TYMON wrote:
P.S-MIKE -THOUGHT ID KEEP THE COUNTS GOING WHY YOU WERE AWAY
Hi John
Good to see someone was watching the place - some cracking counts you had there. All the usual suspects still present this morning but in much smaller numbers.
JOHN TYMON said
Wed Dec 26 3:13 PM, 2007
HOUGHTON GREEN POOL-26.12.07-8-10 AM-TUFTED DUCK-126,POCHARD-42,GOLDEN EYE-6,TEAL-4,WIGEON-107,COOT-61,GREAT CRESTED GREBE-1,LITTLE GREBE-4,REDSHANK-3,MALLARD-52,COMMON BUZZARD-1,SPARROWHAWK-1F,CORMORANT-3 P.S-MIKE -THOUGHT ID KEEP THE COUNTS GOING WHY YOU WERE AWAY
Watched the Kestrel perch on the telephone wires no more than 6 feet from the nearest Linnet. It then swopped down on the Linnets when they dropped into the thistles and ignored them when they flew back onto the wires. Watched the same scenario recently though with Starlings.
Black-necked Grebe this evening plus the usual suspects
JOHN TYMON said
Sat Sep 22 5:36 PM, 2007
22.09.07- 4.30 pm still 21 little grebes,no wigeon,no bn grebe,8 swallow,about 80 goldfinch,1 willow warbler,plus all the usual suspects
Mike Baron said
Thu Sep 20 8:54 AM, 2007
7 Wigeon present this morning. It will be interesting to see if this is the start of the migrating birds returning or just a local group visiting. Last year the Wigeon didn't start to return to HGF until late October.
Also this morning 2 Jays, 2 Kestrels and 2 Buzzards in addition to the usual stuff.
Also early on Monday morning encountered a female Sparrowhawk in the road with a dead Wood Pigeon. She was not for moving and was in danger of becoming a road kill casualty. I stopped the car and put on the hazards (ignoring the beeping horns behind me) - the Sprawk did not move even when I walked right up to her. She stared back, mantling her prey. Had to shoo her off the Pigeon and moved her kill off the road in case she came back.
No sign of jessies, clearly adult female - best views I have had of a Sprawk!
59 Linnets and 83 House Martins on the telephone wires 5 Swifts around
A Chiffchaff was singing away in the hedge by the south bank. I thought he was being a bit optimistic - this morning a Willow Warbler had joined him.
Little Grebe's up to 17.
Mike
Mike Baron said
Sat Aug 25 9:12 PM, 2007
BNG's have now left - last saw them on Tuesday.
Tonight:
52 Tufted Duck 2 Mute Swan 47 Coot 16 Little Grebe 6 Great Crested Grebe 2 Pochard
35 Grey Partridges in adjacent fields
Last night a flock of 55 Linnets
Mike Baron said
Sat Aug 18 10:55 AM, 2007
This morning:
4 Black-necked Grebe - (2 immature)
15 Little Grebe
8 Great Crested Grebe
2 Mute Swan
62 Tufted Duck
4 Pochard
35 Coot
4 Lesser Black-backed Gull
5 Black-headed Gull
Fields nearby - 31 Rooks and 75 Wood Pigeon
Has been a covey of 13 Grey Partridges in the fields across the road and a covey of 4 in he field to the south recently but not there this morning.
Anyone seen any Swifts recently?
Mike
94 Wigeon
53 Coot
16 Tufties
15 Pochard
4 Goldeneye
4 Teal
1 Little Grebe
4 Redshank
1 Oystercatcher
70+ Lapwing
154 BH Gull
5 Common Gull
hi mike a rough count-124 species over 12 years.
its still a great water but much more disturbed with dogwalkers than it used to be
Best is to proceed down Delph Lane past the flash towards Padgate. Approx 600 yds down (rom Myddleton Lane tuen off) you will see a gate in a field on the left (small road off to right opposite). Park here carefuly and follow the path through the field - it takes you back to the south bank of the flash.
The water is privately owned - the only public access is via the footpath through the field which crosses only the south bank though in reality lots of locals walk dogs all round the pool every day.
Black-necked Grebes should be back in a few weeks.
The field with the path gets Mipits and Skylarks and the odd Wheatear in spring. Barn Owl is occasionally seen.
Behind the hedge on the east side are lots of brambles - this area is good for Warblers etc in spring and summer though no wintering ones observed.
Fields opposite the gate on Delph Lane often have Grey Partridge. Look back up the Lane towards the farm - this is where the Linnet flock often hangs around - usually on the telephone wires.
If you visit regularly you can spot all sorts of birds - in the 2 years I have been watching the site I have clocked 93 species. I bet John Tymon has seen many more! I usually visit either early morning or during the last hour of daylight.
Waterworks Lane in Winwick is only five minutes away - the stubble patch opposite the lay bye has regular Yellowhammers plus Grey Partridges and Corn Buntings. A Buzzard has spent most the winter on the fenceline. To get there proceed back up Delph Lane and turn left. Proceed through Winwick village and turn right before you reach the church - this is Waterworks Lane.
Best food and beer is the Swan near the church!
Rgds
Mike
Also had lunch in an excellent pub in Burtonwood called the Fiddle i'th Bag and a pleasant half in the Plough in Houghton Green.
Cheers Ian.
Wigeon 91 (inc 58 drakes)
Coot 58
Pochard 9
Tufties 22
Goldeneye 3 (1 drake)
Little Grebe 1
G Crested Grebe 1
Buzzard 1
Redshank 4
Heron 1
Meadow Pipit 1
Grey Partridge 14
RL Partridge 1
Linnet 128+
Reed Bunting 1
Starling 350+
Goldfinch 19
Fieldfare 27
Stonechat 1 (female)
45 birds in the Delph Lane part of the rookery
Plus range of other common species
-- Edited by Mike Baron at 09:42, 2008-02-09
Mike
WIGEON-92
COOT-72
TUFTED -32
POCHARD-14
GOLDEN EYE-2
LITTLE GREBE-1
REDSHANK-2
MALLARD-42
79 Wigeon
76 Coot
22 Tufty
12 Pochard
1 Goldeneye
1 Little Grebe
2 Redshank
Very quiet recently. Seems to be more water in the surrounding fields than in the pool!
P.S-MIKE -THOUGHT ID KEEP THE COUNTS GOING WHY YOU WERE AWAY
-- Edited by JOHN TYMON at 15:13, 2007-12-26
-- Edited by JOHN TYMON at 15:15, 2007-12-26
3 Mute Swan
74 Wigeon
38 Tufted Duck
20 Pochard
74 Coot
5 Little Grebe
5 Goldeneye
3 Redshank
35 Linnet
1 Grey Wagtail
120 Black-headed Gull
5 Common Gull
8 Lesser Black-backed Gull
374 Herring Gull
24 Great Black-backed Gull
1 Kestrek
1 Sparrowhawk
94 Mallard
yesterday:
2 Gadwall
17 Meadow Pipits
cracking list that mike-makes me wish id kept to the pool instead of returning to my old haunt penny
4 Mute Swan
75 Wigeon
48 Coot
1 Teal
20 Tufted Duck
10 Pochard
6 Goldeneye
59 Mallard
1 Great Crested Grebe
1 Little Grebe
3 Redshank
1 Snipe
8 Lapwing
1 Pied Wagtail
1 Grey Wagtail
1 Kingfisher (rare one for this patch)
62 Linnet
52 Goldfinch
5 Chaffinch
5 Blue Tit
1 Great Tit
11 Long-tailed Tit
14 Blackbird
4 Wren
7 Robin
5 Dunnock
1 Meadow Pipit
2 Kestrel
1 Buzzard
14 Grey Partridge
45 Wood Pigeon
7 Collared Dove
22 Rook
4 Crow
5 Jackdaw
2 Magpie
73 Starling
175 Herring Gull
13 Great Black-backed Gull
1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
1 Common Gull
122 Black-headed Gull
Yesterday:
2 Stonechat
131 Linnet
1 Heron
4 Mute Swan
47 Wigeon
47 Coot
1 Teal
11 Pochard
27 Tufted Duck
4 Goldeneye
3 Little Grebe
2 Great Crested Grebe
70+ Black-headed Gull
1 Meadow Pipit
24 Jackdaw
1 Kestrel
130+ Linnet
Watched the Kestrel perch on the telephone wires no more than 6 feet from the nearest Linnet. It then swopped down on the Linnets when they dropped into the thistles and ignored them when they flew back onto the wires. Watched the same scenario recently though with Starlings.
Mike
1 Snipe
80+ Linnet
13 Mute Swan
2 Kestrel
3 Redshank
26 Wigeon
13 Little Grebe
12 Pochard
55 Tufted Duck
1 Shoveler
2 Grey Wagtail
5 Meadow Pipit
2 Grey Partridge
12 Fieldfare
70+ Starling
Saturday - 9 Pink-footed Geese low over heading NW
Also this morning 2 Jays, 2 Kestrels and 2 Buzzards in addition to the usual stuff.
Buzzard
2 Kestrel
14 Linnet
90+ Goldfinch
4 Mute Swan
4 Canada Goose
72 Coot
27 Tufted Duck
2 Pochard
21 Little Grebe
6 Great Crested Grebe
34 Lapwing
75+ Black-headed Gull
Also early on Monday morning encountered a female Sparrowhawk in the road with a dead Wood Pigeon. She was not for moving and was in danger of becoming a road kill casualty. I stopped the car and put on the hazards (ignoring the beeping horns behind me) - the Sprawk did not move even when I walked right up to her. She stared back, mantling her prey. Had to shoo her off the Pigeon and moved her kill off the road in case she came back.
No sign of jessies, clearly adult female - best views I have had of a Sprawk!
20 Little Grebe
6 Great Crested Grebe
80 Coot
31 Tufted Duck
2 Pochard
4 Mute Swan
1 Grey Wagtail
2 Black-headed Gull
1 Lesser Black-backed Gull (juv)
1 Chiffchaff (singing)
1 Linnet
Mike
59 Linnets and 83 House Martins on the telephone wires
5 Swifts around
A Chiffchaff was singing away in the hedge by the south bank. I thought he was being a bit optimistic - this morning a Willow Warbler had joined him.
Little Grebe's up to 17.
Mike
Tonight:
52 Tufted Duck
2 Mute Swan
47 Coot
16 Little Grebe
6 Great Crested Grebe
2 Pochard
35 Grey Partridges in adjacent fields
Last night a flock of 55 Linnets